You Gotta Go Find Those Dreams
by Dopey91
Summary: Johnny and Dally are dead, and the gang is falling apart. But when the one girl who got away calls saying she's coming home, Darry starts to revisits his past memories which are monopolized by her. Could she be the one to fix their broken home?
1. Chapter 1: In Mourning

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders**

"Two-Bit will you turn that down!" I yelled from the kitchen as I bent over the bills. The constant chatter of Mickey Mouse and Black Pete was really starting to get to me. But of course, Two-Bit ignored me. He was too caught up in his show; there was something about that flickering box that made him forget everything in the real world. Sometimes I wondered if he actually thought he _was _Mickey Mouse.

"Darry? Did you iron Pony's jersey for tomorrows meet?" Soda asked coming down the stairs.

"Not yet, but I'll get to it." I said as I tried to remember my multiplication tables.

Soda nodded as he made his way towards the laundry room. "Don't worry about it Darry, I'll do it."

"No Soda, you don't have to do that," I said twisting my body towards him. "Honestly, I'll do it myself once I'm finished here. You all ready cleaned the kitchen and mowed the lawn today, take a break!"

"It's really fine." he said pulling Pony's shirt out of the dryer. "I need to do something."

I turned back towards the bills and placed my pen on the table, then put my head in my heads. Ever since Johnny and Dally's death nothing was the same. Two-Bit had dropped out of school and was doing a few odd jobs every now and then, but mostly he just watched TV. He'd sit in front of it from morning till night, completely lost in the static fuzz of the television. In total contrast was Soda. He worked from six in the morning till seven at night, then came home and worked his butt off around the house. He told me that if he was working, then he wouldn't be thinking. And thinking was what he was trying to avoid.

I sighed sadly and tried to continue with the bills until the door slammed open and Steve walked in, completely drunk and yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Hey guys!" He yelled swaying slightly. "You have to get down to The Dingo! There's a huge brawl about to happen between Sheppard and some redneck! And it's got a good chance that it'll turn into a rumble!"

"Will you shut up!" I hissed getting up out of my chair. "Pony is sleeping for once! And if you wake him up Steven you'll be sorry!"

Steve lowered his eyes, ashamed of himself. He walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water, trying to sober up. Steve's method of grieving probably made the most sense to me, and if I didn't have Pony and Soda to worry about I'd do the same thing, get drunk every night. When your drunk you don't remember anything, you just laugh, fight, and have a good time. But I was starting to worry about Steve a bit. Soda told me he had come into work drunk recently and was in jeopardy of loosing his job.

He chugged down his glass then wiped his mouth steadying himself against the wall.

"So, do any of you wanna go or not?" he asked again, quieter this time

"Naw, that's ok." Two bit said still starring at the TV. "I'm not really in the mood."

"And I have to finish the laundry." Soda said coming in the with a bunch of clothes to fold.

"Soda, please go." I begged starting to help him. "I can handle this, you need to get out and do something. You too Two-Bit!"

"I'll go."

I turned around as saw Pony walking down the stairs completely dressed. I cussed under my breath and sent a death look at Steve. "What are you doing up Buddy?"

"Can't sleep." he said for the fourth time this week. "Can I go to The Dingo Darry? I promise I'll be back by two and my meet isn't until three tomorrow anyway. I'll have plenty of time to catch up on my sleep then."

Looking at Pony was the by far the worst. He had huge bags under his eyes and they were red and puffy from crying too. His hair was still a blonde mess and he was also a lot thinner. The school had already called me twice about Pony, wanting to know how he was coping with Johnny and Dally's death. Even after six months the answer was still the same, not well.

I looked at Pony for a moment longer, then nodded. I hated to say no to him for anything now. He gave me a very small smile, then went to get his shoes.

Suddenly the phone rang on the table making us all jump. I let it ring a few more times then finally picked up the receiver and said hello.

"Hey Darry? Um... it's Wendy."

I felt all the blood run out of my face as my stomach filled with butterflies. I slowly sat down on our old, battered couch as I tried to think of what to say. We hadn't spoken in two years, yet she still was able to make me weak in my knees. I shook my head, trying to clear the waves of images that were running across my mind. A young girl crying on the playground, her punting my football, catching fireflies in the front yard, then finally my arm around her shoulders as she wore my favorite leather jacket.

"Darry? Hello...? Are you there?" I suddenly snapped out of my trance and noticed all the guys were watching me, confused and concerned.

"Yeah...yeah I'm here." I said trying to sound normal. "Hey Wendy! Wow, its been a while." At that the guys mouths dropped. All at once they ran towards the couch, trying to get as close as they could to the phone.

"Oh your coming to Tulsa?" I responded to her as I tried shoving Soda away. "Oh that's fantastic...yeah call me when your in town. I'd love to see you and catch up...Ok...Alright I'll talk to you later. Goodnight." I gently put down the phone as I let out a huge breath.

"That was Wendy." I said to the guys, repeating what they already knew. No one said a word, but just starred at me. I slowly got up and walked towards the kitchen, sitting down next to the bills again. I picked up my pen and started writing the electric bill, all the while thinking of her.

**So...what do you think so far? Does it sound interesting? Please review, they're so helpful. **


	2. Chapter 2: A Butterflies Dream

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders**

I had known Wendy since I was two years old. Mom and Ms. Thompson had been friends since grade school so it was natural that they would want to see each other. As a result, Wendy and I were often forced to play with each other. Wendy lived on the nice side of town, what we now call the Soc side. She always looked picture perfect with her brown, wavy hair and freshly pressed sun dresses. But honestly, I never really thought about her. She was just Wendy, that annoying girl that always came over with Ms. Thompson and wanted me to play dolls with her. It wasn't until I was seven years old that I actually remember liking Wendy. I'll never forget that day for as long as I live.

It was a Tuesday in mid May when I heard someone crying on the other side of the playground. I was playing on the swing set with a few of my friends and decided to investigate, she was standing with a bunch of boys and tears we're streaming down her face. She was wearing a pretty yellow sundress with white sandals and a matching bow in her hair. Her soft brown eyes were spilling over tears as she knelt next to the grass crying over a dead bug.

"Geez Wendy!" Tim said annoyed. "It was just a caterpillar! Calm down! You're gonna get me in so much trouble!"

"What happened?" I asked him and his two other friends.

"She was talking to that caterpillar like it was a person! It was weird so I squished it." he said in a nonchalant tone.

"You killed it!" she yelled in complete dismay. "How could you do such a wicked thing!"

Tim clenched his fists and came towards her, I stepped between them. "Just leave her alone Tim." I said bravely. "You've already upset her enough. Just let it be."

"Why?" he asked. "She's a freak!"

"Because her mom and my mom are friends, okay? If I don't stop you from picking on her then my mom is going to kill me!"

"Alright, Darry." Tim said after a moment of thought. "I'll leave her alone because she's your friend. But that's the only reason. She's way weird!"

Once he left I turned towards her, expecting a thank you but instead got her death stare, something I'd come to know very well as we grew up.

"I don't need your charity Darrel Curtis!" she said getting up and brushing off her dress. "Don't stick up for me just because our mothers are friends."

I felt my face got hot with anger. "I just stuck my neck out for you and you can't even say thank you? Well fine! See if I ever help you again!" I sat down on the grass and ground my teeth, annoyed. "Why do you care so much about that stupid caterpillar anyway?" I asked after a moment of silence.

She looked at me as if she had never thought about it before. We were quiet for a few minutes before she finally answered.

"Because...that caterpillar had dreams, too, just like you and me. It dreamed of becoming a beautiful yellow butterfly and being able to fly through the air, free and alive. But now, it will never have that chance."

That was the first time I knew that Wendy was something special. Who else would think of a caterpillar having dreams and wanting to preserve beauty and life like that? She was so different from anything I had ever encountered before. Even at an early age I wanted to be a part of it, I wanted to be a part of her.

"Darry! Wake up!" Soda yelled pounding on my door and interrupting my thoughts. "You're going to be late for work." I groaned and slowly got out of bed, cracking my back.

"Yeah, I'm up." I answered through the door. "I'll be down in a minute."

I quickly got dressed and went to the bathroom, then came into the kitchen and started making Pony's lunch.

"So what are you going to do about Wendy?" Soda asked as he gathered his things for work.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Meet up with her I suppose."

Soda starred at me for a moment then spoke his mind. "Darry, I'm worried about you. I know how much Wendy means to you. I just don't want you to get hurt again."

I tried to act cheerful. "Calm down, Pepsi Soda! I'll be fine! I practically forgot about her anyway." I turned away from him; we both know that was a lie.

"When is she coming again?" Soda asked after a moment.

"Saturday, I have no idea why. Her family moved to Connecticut last year so there really is no reason for her to come to Tulsa."

"Maybe she misses you." Pony said coming downstairs ready for school. I didn't dare dream.

"Come on, kid, let's get you to school." Soda said dragging him out the door, Steve honking his horn outside.

I waved goodbye to my brothers and got my things together, then locked the door and went to my car. What if Wendy did miss me? But it was impossible, I quickly concluded. She had a fantastic job in New York, lots of money, and hadn't a care in the world. To come back to him would only make her life more difficult. I tried to tell myself that if she did by chance want me back that I would resist her, but I knew I was lying to myself. I'd take her back in an instant if I had the chance. Being with Wendy was like being in constant sunshine; I was always warm and happy. I hadn't felt that way since she had left two years ago, and I doubted I would ever feel it again. Wendy was my one and only...and I had let her go.


	3. Chapter 3: She Found Her Passion

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

"Darry! I'm open!" Soda yelled from the far end of the lot. I threw the football a fantastic distance, Soda barely catching it and making a touchdown.

"The Curtis Brothers have done it again!" I yelled running towards Soda for a victory dance; we were the best team in the neighborhood.

Two Bit groaned. "This isn't fair! You both can't be on the same team! You know Steve is worthless when it comes to football!"

"Ya think so?" Steve yelled angry, tackling Two-Bit into the dirt, starting to wrestle.

It was the Fourth of July, and I was eleven years old. My family was having a cook out and invited all of our friends to come over for the party. I could smell the hotdogs and hamburgers on the charcoal grill in our back yard while Mom continued to greet friends that kept coming to the door. I loved the Fourth of July; fireworks, cook outs, and football in the lot all afternoon. Everything was perfect except one thing.

"Aww, great!" Soda said smiling. "Guys! We lost Darry!" Two-Bit and Steve stopped fighting and looked up to see Wendy waving from the my house, her mother and and my mom talking by the mailbox.

"Wendy!" I yelled running towards her. She was wearing a pair of old jean shorts, her black high tops and my favorite yellow shirt. Whenever I thought about Wendy she was always in yellow. I had told her once that I liked that color best on her, so she had started to wear it all the time. She had just gotten back from a vacation to the beach with her family so she was a lot tanner then the last time I saw her, and her freckles were starting to show. I decided to keep that to myself. Even though I liked them, she thought they were ugly.

"We're playing football, come on! You can be on Steve's team."

She wrinkled her cute little nose in disgust. "Aww, great! Picking on the girl again, Darry!" she joked, then started putting up her long hair.

The teams were rearranged. It was Soda, Wendy, and Steve against Two-Bit, Johnny and me. Pony was always the referee.

"Hut, hut, hike!" I yelled looking around for Two-bit. Suddenly I saw a flash of yellow then was flat on my back, the wind completely knocked out of me.

"Dang, Wendy!" Steve yelled astonished. "That was amazing! You completely rocked him!"

Wendy got up from the ground, her shirt already covered in grass stains.

"Well I learned tackling from the best!" She looked down at me and smiled. Even though I could barely breathe, I was so proud!

Ever since the day at the playground Wendy and I had become best friends. We told each other everything, shared secrets, and preferred being with each other over any other person. Unfortunately, her parents were making her go to an all girls private school on the other side of town so we were unable to hang out during the week. But the weekends were always ours.

We played football until we got bored, then Wendy and I went into the house.

"Darryl!" My Uncle Scott said from the couch. "You said you wanted to see my pictures from Africa right?"

Uncle Scott was a photographer for a magazine and got to travel all over the world to take pictures. He just recently went to Eygpt, Sudan, and Kenya and I wanted to see some lions. This was the moment that Wendy found her passion.

Wendy had always been obsessed with nature. We could never sit down and watch TV for very long, because all she wanted to do was go outside and explore. She loved every bug, animals, and plant that we found and learned as much as she could about them. She had such an appreciation for beauty, which is why photography really caught her interest. As we looked at my Uncle's pictures, her face lite up with delight as we saw distant lands, odd looking strangers, and different creatures from all over.

It took me forever to drag her away, but I was finally successful and went outside to watch the fireworks. After a while I noticed Wendy watching her parents. I turned and saw Mr. and Ms. Thompson arguing again. I bit my lip wishing they would go in the other room. I knew how much they embarrassed Wendy when they did this. I took her hand and gave it a squeeze, then led her out to the front yard to catch fireflies.

Girls were never allowed to spend the night; that was the rule. But to every rule there was an exception, and that was Wendy. Mr. Thompson had gone home after the fight while Ms. Thompson stayed behind to talk to my mom. The only good thing that came out of them fighting was that Wendy got to stay at our house. Ms. Thompson went home to get Wendy's sleeping bag and pjs, and then went home to deal with her husband. It was around midnight when Wendy finally opened up to me, downstairs in our living room. We had built a fort out of couch pillows and blankets with snacks and fun games inside. As we munched on popcorn, looking at our favorite comic _Superman_, she finally laid back and let out a large sigh.

"Darry, I think my parents are going to get a divorce." I lay back beside her, ready to listen. "They're arguing has gotten a lot worse these past few months. The beach was unbearable! If my Aunt Amelia hadn't of been there, I probably would have hitched hiked home."

"What do they argue about?" I asked.

"Money, mostly. What a stupid thing to ruin a marriage over!" I nodded in agreement. I remembered my mom saying something about Wendy being wise beyond her years. I often thought she was right.

"It was awful nice of your Uncle to let us look at his pictures." She started, changing the subject. "One day, I want to be just like your uncle. Travel to far off places, capture moments that would otherwise be forgotten." She looked at me and smiled. "I'm gonna do it Darry, I want this more then anything!"

I frowned, sitting up and looking away.

"What's wrong?" she asked, full of concern.

"Well what about me?" I said a little hurt. "If you go off to Kenya or Thailand to take pictures then you'll leave me here all alone."

She smiled. "Darry don't be silly! I'll take you with me!"

I snorted. "What would I do in Thailand?"

"I don't know, be with me." I shrugged, it was good enough for me. I looked back at Wendy, she had her thinking face on. I could tell what was coming next would be serious.

"Darry, you'll always be my best friend right? No matter what happens?"

I laughed slinging one of my arms around her shoulder. "Of course stupid! What would I do with out you?"

I woke up with a start from the phone ringing. I had been dreaming about my past again. I sighed and tried to go back to sleep, I missed Wendy already. But the phone kept ringing, even after they hung up they'd call again, intent on getting me out of the bed. This was my only day off this entire week and they were forcing me out of bed at 8:30am. Life was cruel.

Once down stairs I grabbed the phone and growled into it. It was Pony's school. Apparently he had gotten in another fight and was being sent home. I groaned and said I was on my way. Pony had been acting out a lot lately. He had finally gotten over the crying stage and had now moved onto anger. He came home cranky everyday from school, and this was the second time this week that I had to go pick him up. He was sure to be suspended now. I needed to stop thinking about a Wendy so much and focus on Pony and Soda again; they both needed so much help. It was times like this that I wished my Mom was still alive...or that Wendy was home.


	4. Chapter 4: Crush

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders**

"Wendy! Over here!" I said, waving my arms from my seat. Her brown eyes searched for a moment, finally resting on me. She smiled and glided towards our picnic table, Socs and Greasers starring as she went. I was completely positive; Wendy was by far the prettiest girl in our school. We were fourteen years old and finally going to the same school together. Wendy's parents had split up the year before and she ended up having to move. Luckily, the only house her mother could afford was down the street from us, so we were able to see each other a lot more then just the weekends. I was fascinated by her as she stopped to talk to a friend; her long hair was the prettiest shade of brown there was and her laugh sounded like wind chimes on a summer night. I bit my lip as I watched her talk to other guys, trying to think why she liked hanging out with me anyway. She was already really popular around school; everyone knew Wendy Thompson. I was starting to worry that she would stop wanting to hang out with me.

"Hey, Darry!" she said happily as she placed her lunch between Paul and I. "How'd football tryouts go yesterday? Bet he was amazing, wasn't he Paul?" She put her arms around my shoulders giving me a hug. I smiled to myself as she sat between us; I don't know why I always worry. She was my best friend, nothing was going to change that.

Paul and Matt gave each other a look and waited until Wendy had left to get a soda, then turned to me smirking.

"So Darry, how long have you had a crush on Wendy?"

Their question took me off guard. "What are you guys talking about? Wendy is my best friend!"

"Don't play dumb, Darry." Paul said calling my bluff. "You've been starring at her like that for weeks!"

"No, I haven't." I was a terrible lair.

Matt started hooting with laughter. "Man, look at this guy blush! You really do like her don't you!"

"Why don't we tell her for you, Darry?" Paul said nudging my sides.

"Yeah, we got you bro!" Matt said starting to get up. "Hey Wendy!"

I tackled him before he could say anymore. "Shut up! If you say a word to her, I'll beat the crap out of both of you!"

Paul laughed. "Oooh! Sensitive! Geez Darry, you must really be in love with her!"

"I'm not in love with her stupid!" I hissed, panicking as Wendy started to walk back towards our table. "Now keep you traps shut!"

"Darry?" Wendy said, looking at me funny. "Why do you have Matt in a headlock?"

"Why don't you mind your own business, Wendy!" I snapped. "This doesn't concern you!"

She looked shocked and a little taken aback. I immediately regretted what I said. "Wendy I-"

"No your right, Darry." She said picking up her lunch. "It's not my business. I'm sorry." Then she and one of her friends got up and walked away.

The rest of the day Wendy ignored me. I tried to talk to her in History and ended up getting us both in trouble. I tried writing her a note but she didn't read it and when I tried to talk to her after school she just walked away. Wendy wasn't one of those people who could get over something quickly, she stayed mad for a while. I knew it was useless but I couldn't stand her being mad at me. Finally I walked over to her house after my second day of football tryouts and knocked on the door, hoping she'd let me in.

"Oh, hello Darry!" Ms. Thompson said smiling. I looked inside and saw that she had a gentleman friend over, that was sure to put Wendy in a bad mood as well.

"Hi, Miss. Smith," I said, almost calling her by her married name. "Is Wendy here? I really need to talk to her."

"She's in her room Darry, come on in."

I walked down the hallway and came to her bedroom door. I took a deep breath, then knocked. "Wendy? It's Darry. Can I come in?"

"No, you can't."

"Why not?" I asked annoyed.

"I'm washing my hair."

I sighed as I leaned against the door. "Wendy, I really am sorry! I don't know why I snapped at you today. Paul and Matt we're pulling my chain and it just got to me!"

I paused, then put my ear to the door. "Wendy? Are you there?"

I slowly opened the door, poking my head into her room.

"Darry!" She screamed running into her bathroom; she was wearing nothing but a pair of pink underwear and a matching bra .

"Sorry! Sorry!" I said freaking out and closing the door. I let out my breathe and smiled to myself, despite my embarrassment.

Finally she opened the door in her bathrobe, a look of annoyance plastered on her face. I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Wendy..."

She rolled her eyes then let me into her bedroom. Her walls were of course, yellow. And she had a white canopy bed with a few stuffed animals, the teddy bear that I had gotten her for her 8th birthday in the middle. I sat down on her bed and took off my backpack, watching as she brushed her hair.  
"You didn't...see anything, did you?" She asked after a moment.

"No." I said lying. She could tell and scowled at me. "Ok, just a little! But I won't tell anyone! I swear."

She rolled her eyes as she turned towards me. "Great."

"Wendy," I started again. "I'm really, really sorry! Please stop being mad at me, you know how much I hate when your upset. Please forgive me! I'll do anything you want me to! Just please don't be mad at me anymore."

She sighed then put down her hair brush. "I'm not mad anymore Darry, I'm just kind of sad. Do you think we're growing apart?"

"No!" I answered quickly. "Of course not!"

"It's just weird you know?" she began, looking like she was about to cry. "I mean I know I'm spending a lot of time with the girls on the cheer leading squad and you have your football buddies, but I'm just afraid things are going to change. And you didn't want to tell me something, for once in our entire life!"

"Aww Wendy," I said holding out my arms to her. She climbed onto her bed with me and let me hold her as she cried. I stroked her hair as I tried to think of something to say. "We're meeting new people, sure, but that doesn't change the fact that we'll always be friends!"

"But your hiding things from me!" she cried as she cuddled closer to me. "I know you guys were talking about something important because otherwise you wouldn't have lugged at Matt for talking about it! And I'm just worried about you!"

I felt my throat grow tight; the truth was that I did like Wendy. I liked her a lot. She was the most wonderful girl I had ever met! I thought about her all the time and wanted nothing more then to never leave her side. But I was nervous, I could never tell her that! I sighed then looked into Wendy's beautiful brown eyes. "Wendy, I promise I'm ok and that I'm not in any trouble. But I just can't tell you right now. I want to, but I'm just no brave enough. But someday I will, I promise."

She smiled up at me and nodded. "Ok Darry, I'll trust you." I kissed her forehead, then remembered something.

"Oh! I got you a present!" I jumped out of her bed and went to my backpack, bringing up a box wrapped in Christmas paper. "Sorry, it's all we had."

"Is this an early birthday present or a peace offering?" she asked, laughing as she tore the paper off.

"How about a bit of both."

She opened the box and then was silent. She starred at what I bought her for a few moments, then looked at me as her eyes started to tear up again. I was afraid that she didn't like it or that I had gotten the wrong kind.

"Darryl Aubrey Curtis, your the bestest friend I've ever had!" she exclaimed jumping into my arms.

I grinned, relieved. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it!" She ran into the closet then came out a moment later, her camera in hand. "Come on! Let's take a picture." She put her arm around me and put her camera above us, then kissed my cheek and snapped a picture.

I took out an old shoe box from underneath my bed and grinned as I looked through it. This shoe box had everything that reminded me of her. There were a few shells from our trip to the beach, _Superman _comic books, a pressed sunflower, and that photo. I laid back against my bed and smiled; man we were young back then. It was the only picture of Wendy that I had, so I cherished it more then anything. It was Wednesday and she was supposed to be here Friday night. I was scared. I didn't know what to do when I saw her, or what to say. But I couldn't not go. Maybe this would be good for me, maybe I was actually over her. I doubted it, but I had to see her. Even if in the end, it would hurt me more.

**Review please! **


	5. Chapter 5: First Kiss

**Chapter 5: Our First Kiss**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

After work the following day, I went to pick up Soda from the DX station because Steve had called out sick. As I waited for him to get off, I noticed a cute blonde eyeing me by the Pepsi cooler. She was a Soc, but looked like one of those girl who enjoyed a dangerous boy every once in a while. I leaned against my Ford, trying to ignore her. She kept smiling at me, twirling her long hair around her finger and popping her bubble gum. It was obvious she was into me, but I wasn't interested. After being with a girl like Wendy, you couldn't go back to dating sleazy girls. I had tried dating after her but jut couldn't. It wasn't so much the girls that I met, they were nice. But it was more so that I couldn't forget her; Wendy.

When I got home I went upstairs to take a nap; I was exhausted from work today and really needed a snooze. But a few minutes later, I was startled awake by a knock on my door. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "Come in."

I was surprised to find Pony there, looking kind of nervous. "Whats up, kid?" I asked sitting up.

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk for a minute."

He came in and sat on the edge of my bed, fiddling with my bed quilt.

"Whats bugging you, Ponyboy?" I asked, concerned.

He shrugged, then suddenly got up and walked out of the room. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering what was up. I hated the Pony and I couldn't talk like me and Soda. For some reason, I scared Pony to death and it really hurt me. I loved that kid so much, but I never could show him in a way that he could understand. I knew I had gotten better about being nicer to Pony since Johnny and Dally died, but it still wasn't good enough. I wanted Pony to come to me when he had problems, not just tell Soda.

Once I was downstairs, I found Sodapop doing the dishes and asked where Pony was.

"In the back yard." he said, motioning with his head towards the door.

"What's bugging him?"

Soda looked up from the dishes and gave me a little smirk. "He has a crush on this girl at school."

I grinned. "Really? That's fantastic!"

"Yeah, it is. But he's nervous because he asked her to the movies and he doesn't know anything about kissing. He already asked me about it, so I'm guessing he was coming to you to get your advice."

I smirked, remembering my first kiss. I found Pony sitting on the steps when I went outside and sat down next to him, putting my arm around his shoulder.

"What's her name?"

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Emily."

We sat in silence for a moment before I finally broke it.

"Ok," I started, looking at my little brother. "I'm gonna tell you about my first kiss. Now this story is kind of crap, but it was at Mindy Crawford's birthday party back in 7th grade. We we're playing spin the bottle and when it became my turn it landed on Flora Drake, remember her?"

Pony made a face. "Your first kiss was Flora?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, inside of a closet in Mindy's basement.."

Pony gagged. "Darry, she's desgusting." he paused. "Did you like it?"

"Ha, no."

"I would have thought that Wendy was your first kiss."

"No," I said, thinking back. "Her first kiss was Paul at the same party. But our first kiss together was amazing!"

Pony paused. "Tell me about it."

I took a deep breath, then began our story; the story of Wendy and my first kiss.

* * *

It was 10:30pm when she finally called me. I got up off the sofa and stretched, then called to Mom that I was going to pick up Wendy. I slammed the screen door and slung on my yellow and navy blue lettermans jacket, then started down the street towards the other side of the train tracks. Wendy loved kids, almost if not more then photography. For some reason kids adored her, so she was constantly asked to babysit. Tonight she was just on the other side of the hood, but I still didn't like her walking by herself. I rubbed my arms as I walked and thought about earlier that day. At school I had seen Wendy talking to Paul again. Even though Paul and I were buddies, I didn't like him talking to Wendy. I knew he thought she was cute because I heard him talking about her in the locker room. Apparently, he was going to ask her out to a movie this weekend. I sighed as I thought about it; my friend was going to get my girl because I was too chicken to tell her how I felt. It was a bummer.

By this time I had reached the house; she was sitting on the front porch waiting. She smiled when she saw me and gracefully walked down the stairs.

"Hello Darry." she said kissing me on the cheek. I smiled down at her as we started walking home, she looked lovely in her yellow blouse and knee length skirt. She really was the prettiest girl in town.

"So," I started, trying to sound casual. "what we're you and Paul talking about today?"

"He asked me to go to a movie, actually." she answered, looking up at the moon.

I felt my stomach drop, but tried to seem unphased. "Oh yeah? What did you say?"

"I said no of course!"

I was shocked. Paul was popular, handsome, and had just gotten an amazing car. "Why not?"

She shrugged. "I'm just not interested in him is all."

I nodded as I slowly started to feel better. She rubbed her shoulders as we walked, she was looking cold. I took off my jacket and put it around her shoulders; it looked good on her.

"Your so sweet Darry; always looking out for me." She paused, as we walked in silence which she finally broke. "I really appreciate you coming to get me again. Mom's out with Greg or she would have."

"It's fine, Wendy." I said truthfully. "I wouldn't want you to get jumped or anything."

She grinned. "I feel like Lois Lane and your my Superman, always ready to protect me." She said referring to our favorite comic book.

I gave her a small smile. "I'll always be your Superman, Wendy."

Her eyes shone up at me as she wrapped her arms around my waist. I loved when she was this close; I could smell her strawberry perfume and it made my mouth water. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be best friends with such a girl. But being friends just wasn't good enough anymore; I wanted more. And suddenly, I felt like I could tell her. I stopped where we were on the sidewalk and took her hands in mine; something I didn't usually do.

"Wendy, I need to say something...so you need to listen ." I said awkwardly.

She was quiet as I gathered my courage. But as I starred at her, I couldn't think of a thing to say. For some reason as soon as I looked into those soft brown eyes, I was lost for words. So I did the only thing that I could think of. I took her face in my hands, then leaned down and kissed her softly on the mouth. Tingles went up my spine as I tasted her lips; this was better then I had ever dreamed. I heard her let out a small gasp of surprise, pulling back slightly. But then a moment later she kissed me back, standing on her tip toes to reach me. I let out a sigh of relief as I pulled away to look at her; she was smiling.

"Was that ok?" I asked, still unsure of myself.

She rolled her eyes, then pulled me in for another kiss. This one was longer and a little more aggressive. Kissing her was like nothing I had ever experienced. I was aware of my entire body and the one I was holding. I wasn't sure how much more I could take, until we finally broke apart.

"Wendy, will you please be my girlfriend?" I blurted out, breathing heavily.

She smirked at me; flirting. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you to kiss anyone else like that but me." I answered truthfully.

She laughed.. "Would you be jealous?"

"Yes. More then I've ever been in my entire life."

Wendy smiled and took my hand, kissing me again. "You have nothing to worry about Darry. Your the only one I've ever wanted anyway."

I got butterflies after hearing what she had said. "R-really?"

She smiled. "Of course silly! Why would I want anyone else?"

I didn't know what to say. I just pulled her into me, kissing her forehead. I was on cloud nine; nothing could be better then this.

* * *

I looked at Pony and smiled. "After that, I knew I'd never want anyone else."

Pony was silent. He was thinking hard about something, but I could tell he was nervous to ask me. Finally he seemed to gather the courage and spoke his mind.

"Darry, if you knew that Wendy was the one for you then why did you let her get away."

I was taken a back a little, then heard the back door open.

"Yeah Darry," Soda said, who had been eavesdropping the entire time. "Why did you let her go?"

I was feeling a bit cornered. I had never told anyone about Wendy and my brake up, not even Mom and Dad. I swallowed and thought back to that night; finally concluding by saying this;

"I had to; she had to go find her dreams."


	6. Chapter 6: Meeting Wendy

**Chapter 6: Meeting Wendy**

**A/N: I'm so sorry everyone! I've been busy, busy, busy these past few weeks and I'm so sorry that I havent updated in a while. Here is the next chapter. Forgiveness is key! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders**

Wendy and I were one of those couples who argued all the time and broke up constantly, but could never forget each other. By our Senior year we had broken up at least three times; it was a little ridiculous. But we were made for each other, anyone could see that. When Paul found out that we were going out, we stopped being friends. He was a little pissed that Wendy had said no to him, and yes to someone else. But that was alright by me, he was starting to become a bit of a jerk anyway.

Wendy's mom had married Greg a few months after we got together so she had money again. Her mom wanted to drag her away to a nicer home across town but Wendy refused; she wasn't about to change schools again. Reluctantly, her mother and step-father decided to remain in our crappy neighborhood until Wendy went off to college.

Wendy started applying to colleges pretty early, but I didn't bother. I knew that there was no way that Mom and Dad could pay for it; but she encouraged me to apply anyway and then helped me fill out scholarship applications all year. I was amazed; I actually got into a couple colleges and received a bunch of scholarship money! I couldn't believe it, I was going to be the first one in my family to ever go to college! I was going to attend the University of Texas to play football. And what made it even better was that Wendy was going to go too! It was like a dream come true. But it wasn't to last.

One afternoon, a week from graduation, I got a call from Wendy asking me to meet her in the lot. I was hoping that she was finally going to talk to me about what had been bothering her all week, she had been unnaturally quite lately. A few minutes later we were sitting against our tree, cuddling under my lettermans jacket I had given her. Back when we first started dating I had carved our initials into this tree with my switch blade. She was pretty mad at me because she was feeling bad for the tree, but I was able to convince her that it really didn't mind. We always got into meaningless arguments like that. But tonight, we didn't say a word. Finally I couldn't take it anymore.

"Wendy? Whats wrong?" I asked her, putting my arms around her shoulders. She leaned into me and shrugged.

"Nothing, I'm fine Darry."

"Wendy, come on. You've been quite all week. Whats going on?"

She shook her head. I pulled her chin up to face me and kissed her. "Please Wendy, tell me."

She sighed and looked up at me; finally telling the truth. "Darry... I got into the School for Visual Arts."

I felt my throat grow tight as we sat in silence. "...The one in New York?"

She nodded. "Yeah, the one in New York."

I stood up, unable to sit still while I digested this. "When did you find out?"

"Last week," she answered sheepishly. "They called saying their first letter of acceptance had gotten lost in the mail but that I was in! I just got the letter today." She paused and she stood up, twisting her fingers. "I wanted to tell you Darry, but I didn't know how! But this is a chance of a lifetime! That school is one of the best in the country, and by going there I might actually have a shot at working with National Geographic!"

That was her dream, to work with that magazine and travel all over the world. I vaguely remembered a conversation we had as kids that involved me going with her wherever she decided to go. But I knew that wasn't realistic; I had to go to Texas and she had to go to New York; but they were just so damn far apart!

"I just have this feeling," she started again. "that I have to go. I've been stuck in this old town for too long. You know I love our home, but I need to experience things, live, see the world!" She stopped, waiting for my reaction.

My throat grew tight, and I wasn't feeling to good. The thought of loosing Wendy was too much; she had always been there for me. What would I do without her? I couldn't go to New York, but she couldn't go to Texas either. We both had different dreams; and that's what was going to tear us apart. I took a shaky breath then turned around, speaking the words I knew I'd have to say eventually.

"Go to New York, Wendy. It's the best thing for you and we both know it. I could never ask you to give up photography just like you would never ask me to give up football... so go," I paused, as my eyes started to water. "You gotta go find those dreams." I gave her a brave smile.

We didn't need to say anything, we both knew this was the end of our relationship. We had been together our entire lives, but now it was coming to an end. Her eyes were filled with tears as we starred at each other. She walked towards me and kissed my cheek, standing on her tip toes to reach me. "You'll always be my Superman, Darry." She whispered, then she ran.

After that night we didn't talk again; even just seeing her around the neighborhood was painful. The following week, Wendy left for New York. She was planning on starting some summer classes so she could get ahead and perhaps graduate early. But I also knew it was because of me. After her daughter had left, Wendy's mother and Greg packed their things and moved to Connecticut; but she and Mom still kept in touch. The summer our parents died, she called in complete tears saying she'd be there for the funeral. Wendy was unable to come because she was traveling in Europe; but sent a bouquet of flowers and a really sweet letter. And that was the last time I had heard from her.

I sat silent for a while, not wanting to look at my brothers faces. I hadn't brought out that memory in a long time, but it still burned. My heart ached for her every moment of every day, and I could have killed myself for letting her go. I missed her more then I thought was ever possible, and to be honest, I was terrified of seeing her again.

"You need to tell her." Pony said finally, getting up.

"Tell her what?"

"That you still love her, you obviously do. And maybe she still loves you too. You just have to find out."

Soda agreed. "Yeah Darry, please tell her. I'd be nice to see you smiling for a change."

"Look who's talking." I answered, with a smug smile. Soda rolled his eyes, then went back inside.

"Really," Pony said, following Soda. "tell her, Darry. There isn't anyone in this world who loves her more then you do. I'm sure of it!"

I thought about what Pony had said the rest of the night and into the following day. I was half way to work when I finally realized that today was Friday; I was supposed to meet Wendy tonight. I still had no idea what I was going to do. It was true that I definitely was still in love with her, but to tell you the truth I never told her. Wendy and I had never gotten to the 'I love you' stage because we were both too stubborn to say it. And I was real scared. I didn't even know what to do when I saw her. Did I give her a hug? Try and joke around? Act indifferent? I was clueless.

That night it took me an hour to figure out what to wear; I never cared how I dressed before but tonight I had to look good. I tried putting on a couple of dress shirts but it just looked like I was trying too hard. Plus if your a big guy like I am, it's really hard to look good in a tie. I let out a nervous chuckle; I felt a little like Clark Kent with his huge muscles and superman outfit underneath. I finally settled on a pair of nice jeans, my tight black t-shirt, and my jacket. I hoped Wendy would wear yellow.

I came downstairs and found the whole gang present, they had all come to give me their support.

"Good luck, Darry!" Soda said giving me a hug. "Go get that girl, and don't come home until you do!"

I rolled my eyes and tried to act cool, my stomach was in total knots and I felt like I was gonna puke.

"Where are you guys going tonight?" I asked, changing the subject.

"There's a party across the river that Sheppard invited us to." Steve answered drinking from his bottle of booze.

"Two-bit, you going too?"

"Naw," he said turning off the TV. "I'm just gonna go home and relax, I'm exhausted."

"So it's only gonna be Pony here tonight." I said grabbing my keys.

"Actually Darry," Soda started. "He's coming with us."

"To a Sheppard party?" I said in disbelief. "I don't think so."

"Aww come on Darry!" Pony whined, sounding a little like the old Pony Boy. "Please let me go! I don't wanna be stuck in the house when you and Wendy come back here."

"Who says we're gonna!" I said blushing a little.

"Well I don't wanna take the chance!" he answered. "You know those walls are paper thin!"

I groaned; I couldn't believe we were having this conversation. "Alright, you can go. But really, nothings gonna happen tonight so feel free to come home."

Steve rolled his eyes and laughed. "Whatever Darry, come on guys!"

"Remember what I said!" Pony yelled as he grabbed his coat and ran towards the door. "Tell her!" Then they were gone.

After the guys had left I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth for the third time, then finally started towards my car. My stomach was turning as I got in and started towards the park. It was only a few blocks down from my house so it didn't take me long. I saw her sitting on the swings wearing a pretty yellow sundress and a pair of brown cowboys boots. My heart literally stopped; she was so beautiful.

I took a deep breath, this was it. I parked my car then got out and walked towards her, giving her a small smile.

"Hey Wendy, long time no see."


	7. Chapter 7: New York

**Chapter 7: New York**

**A/N: As a bit of a change, I thought I'd write this chapter in Wendy's POV. Let me know what you think! And sorry I've been away so long, getting busy. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

A week earlier at this exact time, I was in New York City and Darry was far from my mind. The art world was a buzz with excitement about Gallery 51, where for the first time I would be auctioning off my photos to the general public. Everyone who was in attendance was decked out in designer clothing from the most fashionable labels, drinking champagne, martinis and mojitos, while talking in very hushed voices in a dark, smoke filled room. The walls of the gallery were stark white, except for my photo that were set in black frames. Some were large and others small, but they were all images of despair and gloom; the most fashionable subject in the art world.

I stared at one of my pieces as I sipped my dry martini, slipping my stocking foot out of my shiny pump heel, and scratching my calf with my toe. I swished the harsh liquid in my mouth for a moment, squinting my eyes at the photo in front of me, then swallowed.

The picture was one of a homeless woman, covered in ragged clothing with a change cup in one hand and her daughter in the other.

"It's so raw and urban!" I heard one man behind me say to a friend. "Totally new and innovative!"

I rolled my eyes as I munched on my olive. "It's depressing, that's what it is!" I said as my manager Ingrid Worthing came to stand beside me.

"I know it's not your kind of picture Wendy, but the public is really responding well." she said flipping back her black hair.

"Whooopie." I said unenthusiastic, wiggling my finger. Ingrid rolled her eyes.

"Please Wendy, try and look pleased. Your name is finally getting out there! Your finally being recognized and making money!"

"Yeah, but not the way I wanted." I said, thinking of my other photos. "And I'm going to kill you for making me wear these shoes!" I slipped off my left shoe again, relishing the feel of the cool, tile floor on my sore feet.

"Put your shoe back on now!" Ingrid hissed, appalled. "What are you? Some hillbilly running through the back woods!"

I scowled at her. Ingrid was always making cracks about where I grew up, thinking everyone in Tulsa was some kind if uneducated country bumpkin. I could feel my temper rising, so I started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

"To get some moonshine from the bar!" I snapped. I stormed away, grabbing another martini and went outside onto the balcony to cool off. I couldn't stand Ingrid! But she did know her stuff.

I looked out over the city and rubbed my shoulders, wishing I had brought a jacket. I heard a siren a few miles away, thumping music from some souped up car, and I could have sworn I heard a gun shot but that could have been my imagination. I sighed, wishing with all my heart that I could hear the cicadas song.

I jumped as I heard the auctioneers loud voice downstairs; the auction must have just started. I took another gulp of my martini and tried not to think about the crap that was being sold downstairs, it was too depressing. A lot had changed since I had come to New York.

When I first got to school, all I wanted to do was take pictures of nature, people, and beauty. But I soon learned that happy pictures were not what the public wanted, or my professors. People didn't want images of flowers and smiling children. They wanted raw, gripping, and haunting photos of despair and hopelessness. And I had finally given in. I lied to my mother by telling her that I was taking photos of nature, just like I had always wanted. I didn't want her to know that I had compromised my dreams to please others, she had taught me better.

I stayed on the balcony for around half an hour, lost in my own thoughts. Finally, I decided to go inside and tell Ingrid I was going home. The auction was sure to be over soon anyway. I descended from the stairs and glanced at the auctioneer. I let out a small yelp as I saw my favorite picture of my mother being taken of the stage, apparently sold to someone in the first row. I panicked, looking desperately for Ingrid. There had to be some kind of mistake! Suddenly I saw her sitting at the bar and made a bee line, grabbing her arm and turning her towards me.

"Ingrid, did you put that piece into the pile to be auctioned off?" I exclaimed, still gripping her arm. She pulled away with a look of annoyance on her face. "Yeah I did! Someone called yesterday and asked if there were going to be any of your earlier pieces in the auction today, so I threw a couple in from that black portfolio in your bedroom."

"Without asking me?" I almost yelled, my temper flaring again. "Those are my private pictures, Ingrid! They are pictures of my family and friends! My home! How dare you take them from my room and put them here without asking me!"

She shrugged and said nothing, obviously not caring.

"Sold! For $350!" The auctioneer said nodding towards someone else. I turned and saw that another one of my earlier photos had been sold. This time it was one of my favorite dog Shadow, who had died when I was 12.

"Look, it's no big deal!" Ingrid insisted, turning back towards the bar. "At least your getting some good money for it!"

I turned back to the stage with tears in my eyes, then dropped my martini glass, shattering it into a million pieces.

"Damnit Wendy!" Ingrid spat, motioning over a waiter to clean up the mess. But I wasn't listening. I was starring at the photo on stage, unable to take my eyes off of it.

"Wait!" I squeaked as I ran towards the stage. The auctioneer looked at me curiously, as did everyone else in the gallery. "Please, these aren't for sale! There's been a terrible mistake!" I insisted as I climbed the stairs onto the low stage. "I'm sorry everyone! But all my earlier works are not for sale. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience!"

The auctioneer looked taken aback but said nothing, and luckily no one challenged me. I think it was the slight panic in my voice.

"Well! Um, that concludes the auction ladies and gentleman!" he said as everyone started to gather their things.

Ingrid came storming up to me as I came off the stage. "What the hell are yo-"

"Ingrid your fired." I said gathering my photos. She looked like I had just slapped her. Relieved that I had gotten back my old pictures, I took off my heels and without another glance at Ingrid, left the stage and walked towards the door.

Once outside, I quickly walked to my car and got in, locking the doors and letting out a huge breath. Parked under a street lamp, my car was fairly well lit. I took out a picture from my portfolio and held it under the light, examining it. It was a black a white photo with a rusty looking truck in the background and a willow tree to the right. Standing by the truck was a candid shot of a handsome young man in a pair of jeans and no shirt. I didn't know how long I looked at that photo, but the entire time I was in tears. I hadn't thought about Darry in so long, and his picture being sprung on me like that had put me into shock. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I couldn't believe I had almost lost it, I was so glad that I had come downstairs when I did. I wiped my eyes on the back of my hand and drove home, all the while thinking of Darry.

Even though we had broken up more then a year ago, I still hadn't forgotten about him. How could I? We had been best friends since we were 7 years old! I wondered how he was doing. His parents had died right after I had left for Europe and the news got to me too late, or I would have come to the funeral. I missed his mom and dad, Sodapop and Pony. Dally, Two-bit, Steve, Johnnycade; all my friends from my childhood. I had left them all when I came to New York to pursue my dreams. But had I been wrong to leave? For the first time since I had left home, I was questioning myself. Why was I here? I hated my job (taking photographs for an urban fashion magazine), I hated the city with its loud noises and disgusting smells, and I couldn't stand any of my "friends". Why was I here?

Once inside of my apartment I picked up the phone and started to dial Darry's number, but quickly put down the phone. What was I thinking? I couldn't call Darry after all these years? He had probably moved on, had a steady girlfriend if he wasn't already married, and didn't need his ex calling from out of the blue. I glanced at the phone again, but I was curious. My hand shaking, I picked up the phone and dial his number, trying to keep cool.

"Hello?"

My stomach dropped. "Hey Darry, it's Wendy." I said, sounding braver then I felt. For a moment I didn't hear anything, had he hung up?

"Darry? Hello...? Are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm here."

"I'm coming home for a week!" I said smiling. Wait, I thought. I was? "I'll be in Tulsa Friday. Do you think we could meet and catch up over some dinner?"

I was so happy that he had agreed.

And now here I was...sitting on a swing in the playground I grew up in, surrounded by the song of the cicadas and crickets, and looking up at the one person who had ever made me feel at home.

"H-hello Darry." I said giving him a small, tentative smile. We looked at each other for another moment, then he scooped me into a bone crushing hug. "Gosh I've missed you!" he said smiling.

I grinned from ear to ear, why had I been worried about meeting him? He was my best friend! "I've missed you too, Superman!" I said as he swung me around. It was just like it used to be, and it was wonderful!

**Please review :)**


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